Serve this Vegan Wellington for the holidays! It’s made with an oh-so meaty vegan beef and lentil filling, wrapped in puff pastry, and ready in about 1 hour. You can even make it ahead of time!
Make this year’s holiday dinner the best one yet by adding this Vegan Turkey Roast, this Vegan Maple Glazed Ham, and my Vegan Cornbread Stuffing to the menu.
“Your recipes are all great but this one is fantastic! I made this for Christmas Eve and even the non-vegans liked it. The ingredients and seasonings give this meal a wonderful flavor! I could not believe how good it was. I wish I would have made two to have some leftovers.” – Lourdes
When I picture my perfect vegan Thanksgiving dinner plate, there are always a few slices of this Vegan Wellington on there. I see them next to my green bean casserole and mashed potatoes, all drizzled with mushroom gravy. How could a vegan holiday meal get any better?!
Now, making a vegetarian beef wellington for the holidays may sound like a lot of work, but I promise it’s easier than you think. You just have to lightly cook and combine the vegan beef and lentil filling, wrap it all up in puff pastry, and then bake it in the oven. No fancy ingredients or complicated techniques included.
If you’re looking for a just-as-tasty main dish that makes plants the star, try my Vegan Mushroom Wellington as well. It never hurts to have two wellingtons at dinner!
Why you’ll love this vegan beef wellington
- Wow-worthy holiday main dish – When I bring this vegan wellington to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, everyone asks for a slice, vegan or not!
- Rich and “beefy” filling – The “beef” filling is what makes this a real showstopper of a dish. A mix of vegan ground “beef,” lentils, oats, soy sauce, and winter herbs makes it taste so hearty and savory.
- Make-ahead friendly – Your time is precious around the holidays, so prep it the day before the dinner to save yourself the stress.
How to make a vegan wellington
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Start by making the filling. Sauté the onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegan beef and cook until it’s browned. Stir in the garlic.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the thyme, sage, paprika, black pepper, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and quick oats. Set it aside to cool.
Combine the ground flaxseeds and water together in a small bowl to make the flax eggs.
Mash the lentils in a large bowl until they’re slightly broken down. Add the cooled filling and flax eggs to the bowl and stir to combine.
Next, assemble the vegan wellington. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle and dump the filling in the middle, leaving about 1 inch of space on all sides. Pack the filling into a tight, tall loaf.
Fold the sides of the pastry over the top of the filling. Pinch to seal the edges.
Transfer the wellington to a sheet pan, seam side down. Brush the tops and sides with melted butter, then use a paring knife to score the top of the dough in a criss-cross pattern.
Recipe Tip
Scoring (or slicing) puff pastry helps the steam escape from the filling and makes for a beautiful presentation. To score, gently drag a sharp knife diagonally through the top of the wellington 3 or 4 times, then repeat going the other direction to end up with a criss-cross pattern.
Bake the wellington until it’s golden brown all over. Set it aside to cool for 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy with my Easy Vegan Gravy poured over top.
Frequently asked questions
A traditional beef wellington wraps beef tenderloin in puff pastry and bakes it until the steak is medium-rare and the pastry is golden brown. It’s a notoriously difficult yet impressive recipe. I much prefer my vegan version, though!
Most store-bought frozen puff pastry is surprisingly vegan-friendly. Pepperidge Farm makes an accidentally vegan puff pastry that’s delicious and really easy to work with. You should be able to find it or similar brands in the frozen section at most major grocery stores.
Yes. Swap the soy sauce for tamari and oats for gluten-free breadcrumbs in the filling. For the crust, try gluten-free puff pastry (I haven’t tested this) or use my Gluten-Free Pie Crust instead.
Yes, you can prepare the vegetarian beef wellington up until the point of baking. Cover the unbaked pastry-wrapped wellington in plastic and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. I don’t recommend freezing the unbaked wellington because the pastry will likely burn before the inside is warmed through.
Wrap the wellington slices in plastic wrap or keep them in airtight containers. They’ll keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. You can thaw the leftovers or reheat them from frozen in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Vegan Wellington
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry vegan
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 12 ounce package vegan beef I used Impossible
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- few shakes black pepper
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 5 tablespoons water
- 15-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
- fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
Thaw puff pastry and preheat oven
- Set the frozen puff pastry out to thaw while you prepare the filling. It will take about 30 minutes to thaw.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a baking pan.
Prepare the filling
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, then add the vegan beef.
- Use a wooden spoon to break the "beef" into crumbles, and cook until browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Remove from heat, and add the thyme, sage, paprika, black pepper, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and quick cooking oats. Stir and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Make your flax eggs – Stir the ground flaxseeds and water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the drained and rinsed lentils. Mash with a potato masher or fork until they are broken down a bit, but they shouldn't be pasty. Leave some texture. Add the slightly cooled mixture from the pan along with your flax eggs and stir well to combine.
Assemble the wellington and bake
- Once the puff pastry is thawed, roll it out to about 9×12 inches.
- Scoop the meaty mixture in the middle of the puff pastry. Leave an inch of space on all sides. Pack the filling tightly using your hands, into a loaf type shape.
- Fold the sides of the pastry over the top of the mixture. Pinch and seal the edges. If needed, use a little water to help it seal.
- Place the wellington on the prepared pan, seam side down. Handle gently.
- Brush the tops and sides with melted vegan butter. Use a sharp knife to score the dough in a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Puff pastry is usually vegan, but check the ingredient list to make sure. I used Pepperidge Farm.
- I used Impossible brand, but Beyond or other brands work just as well. You could also use rehydrated TVP, or even a combination of mushrooms and chopped walnuts for a more “whole food” version.
- I used canned lentils to make the recipe easier, but feel free to cook your own from scratch. Or use a different bean, like chickpeas or black beans.
- Make ahead – Prepare the unbaked wellington ahead of time and wrap well in the refrigerator for up to a day.
- Leftovers – Leftover wellington heats up well and will keep for 3-4 days. If serving for a holiday, I recommend baking it right before serving for best results.
I made this for Christmas. WOW! We couldn’t believe how good this was. I made the filling Christmas morning and stored it in the fridge, and then wrapped it in the pastry at dinner time. I used TVP instead of beyond beef. I was actually surprised how easy this recipe was. This might be the best vegan dish we’ve ever made! This will be a new tradition!
Oh wow this was really good. Will be making it many more. times. Thank you for this recipe. I used beyond meat burger patties with some vegan mince meat. So good.
Looks and sounds delicious.
Could I use frozen veggie mince for this recipe ?
🙂Terri🙂
Sure, you could! Enjoy. 🙂
I’m sorry if this is an obvious answer, but I seem to find cheaper refrigerated pastry dough than frozen, you specify frozen but can I use refrigerated instead?
You could use refrigerated instead yes, I just don’t have access to that where I live. It’s always frozen for me. 🙂
Hi Nora, super excited to try this vegan Wellington! I’m in the process of making it now and realized I only have whole-grain oats, not quick oats. Is it possible to use these and the recipe still turn out?
By “whole grain oats” do you mean regular rolled oats? Those should work just fine, they will be a bit more noticeable throughout but that’s okay. I hope you enjoy the wellington!
Hi there! Can’t wait to make this again for Thanksgiving. Last year I froze the whole thing ahead of time, defrosted in the refrigerator overnight, then did a very slow bake with a loose foil covering. This turned out great, but I want to take the anxiety of baking it correctly out of the equation this year. I am wondering if I could freeze *just the filling* about a week and a half in advance, defrost the filling ahead of time, then put it all in the fresh puff pastry for baking day off. Has anyone here every tried that? Nora + team, any thoughts on how long ahead of time I could make the filling?
Thanks!
Yes, you can freeze the filling a week ahead of time (probably a few weeks ahead of time if you wanted). Then I would thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or until no longer frozen through. Then put it in the puff pastry and bake. Glad you’ve enjoyed it before, and hope it turns out lovely this year as well!
Can I substitute vegan beef with jackfruit?
I’ve never tried it, but you could give it a go!
Sorry, I’ve just remembered you said reread it and you mention it’s possible 🤪
Could I use reconstituted tvp for this recipe ? ☺️
I bet you could, I just haven’t tested it myself. I might have to give that a try this year. Yum!
SO GOOD!! I made this last weekend for Canadian Thanksgiving as a vegan option for one of my family members, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Everyone who tried it loved it. I might have to make another one just for myself!
Hi Chloe. I’m so glad it was a hit at your Thanksgiving meal! Thank you for taking time to share your glowing review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This is so delicious and easy to make. Thank you for this recipe! It (like every one of your recipes) was a huge hit!!!
Thank YOU, Susan, for taking time to share your stellar review and feedback! I appreciate you using my recipes, and I’m so glad that you are loving them! Happy cooking!
I prepared this for our Christmas dinner and it was absolutely amazing! It was simple to prepare but had that “special occasion” presentation. I did find that I had more filling than would fit in the pastry but next time I will pack it tighter and mound it up more, as I saw you mentioned in another comment. Everyone went back for more and we all decided we will be having this again next year. This one is going on the family favorites list!
Hi Monica. This is a fabulous ‘special occasion’ meal! We had the mushroom Wellington for our Christmas! I’m so glad you loved the recipe and that is going onto your family favorites meal list! Thanks for your glowing 5 star review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora! Im excited to be making this for Christmas!!
The recipe calls for one sheet of puff pastry. I would think that wouldn’t be enough to roll it in. Do you mean use the whole box of puff pastry?
Thank you!!
I just use one of the puff pastry sheets, but you are supposed to roll it out so it ends up larger than it comes in the package. Thanks and I hope you enjoy it!
Hi Nora!
Your recipes are all great but this one is fantastic! I made this for Christmas Eve and even the non-vegans liked it. The ingredients and seasonings give this meal a wonderful flavor! I could not believe how good it was. I wish I would have made two to have some leftovers.
Thank you for this recipe!!!
Lourdes
You are so welcome, Lourdes! What a great choice for your Christmas Eve meal! I’m so glad you loved the flavor! Thanks for taking time to share your wonderful review and stellar feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I’m new to vegan cooking. The holidays are coming and I want something to bring to the dinner party. I tried this recipe, with no substitutions (which is rare for me) and it was excellent just the way it was written. I will happily bring this Wellington. Thank you for your recipe! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi Robin. I’m glad you found just the right dinner party item to contribute! Fabulous choice! I hope you enjoy your journey through my recipes! Please reach out with any questions. Happy cooking!
Hi, I’m thinking about making this for Christmas dinner but where I live Worcestershire sauce is not common can’t find it easily, do you think I can substitute with something else?
I have tried some of your recipes, mainly desserts and they are always very easy and delicious, thank you
You can leave it out if needed, it will still be good! I don’t know of a good substitute really. I’m so glad you have enjoyed some of my other recipes, and I hope you love this one!
We’ve eaten vegan for 15-16 years. There is nearly nothing I miss except a roasted turkey. For the first time, because of this, I didn’t have any of those thoughts.
AND, though I’m a rather generous guy, I wanted all of these leftovers for us.
As usual, everyone took home some of the other goodies. Not this
Hi Jim, I am honored and encouraged by your wonderful feedback! Thanks for taking the time to share your fabulous review and comments. Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi there,
I’m interested in making ahead and freezing this. I saw you mentioned to another person that the best way to do this is to make it all ahead, then let it cool, then freeze. I’m wondering if you freeze the whole thing like this after baking, what’s the best way to prep it in the oven to serve? How long to cook it and at what temperature? Thanks!
Hello! You know, I don’t think freezing this ahead of time is actually the best idea. I’ve never tried it myself, and I’m afraid if you freeze it, then go to reheat, the pastry might burn before the middle ever cooks. You can try it, but I’d probably defrost in the fridge overnight, then cover in foil for a good while in the oven. I’m not sure how long it will take. This one would be much better made fresh, or even put together the day before, refrigerated, then baked. Sorry for the confusion!
Thanks for the response, Nora. Unfortunately I got ambitious and went ahead and made it ahead of time and frozen it anyway– oops! I made sure the filling was completely cooled before I assembled the wellington. If I defrost it overnight and bake according to your regular instructions, do you have concerns about puff pastry sogginess? I did a bit of reading from other people that have cooked wellingtons from frozen and it seems like they place it on a wire rack with a pan beneath to make sure moisture doesn’t collect at the bottom, then loosely cover the top with foil with holes in the top so it doesn’t steam. I think I’ll do that whether it’s from frozen or from defrosted– what are your thoughts? I’ll be sure to update here how this experiment goes!
I think that’s a good thing to try! I’ve never done this myself so I can’t say for sure. But I think it will work. I think I’d defrost it overnight in the fridge.
We love this recipe and have made it so many times. This is our go to holiday dish. We like it so much that I recently used the filling ingredients from this recipe to make meatballs and they came out great! The only change I made was not cooking the Impossible Beef before combining it with everything else, so it stuck together better. Amazing recipe!
Hi Wren. Great idea! I’m thrilled you are loving the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful idea and review! Happy cooking!
This was amazing! We made this for Easter and our meat and potatoes grandma (who we didn’t tell it was vegan at first) ended up taking the leftovers home with her because she loved it so much! I will definitely be making it again! So good!
Grandma must have loved it for sure, which is so fun! I am so glad the Wellington was a hit! Thank you for your fabulous review and fun feedback! Happy cooking!
My husband and I embarked on our very first plant-based holiday adventure, and I found myself feeling a bit overwhelmed with the task of preparing a Christmas dinner. However, I stumbled upon this incredible recipe that not only turned out to be delicious but also remarkably simple to make! To complete our festive feast, we complemented it with your vegan gravy and a side of your mashed potatoes. Thank you once again, Nora, for making our plant-based holiday truly memorable!
You are welcome, Denise! I’m so glad you loved the Wellington! Thank you for your wonderful feedback and review!
This looks great, and I’m excited to make it. However, flax seeds are a difficult item for me to get. As I’m vegetarian rather than vegan, are there any more easily available substitutes?
Thank you!
I’m not totally sure. The flax seeds + water help hold the mixture together. It’s possible real eggs would work if you aren’t vegan, but I’m really not sure as I’ve never tested that (I don’t eat eggs).
Bob’s Mill sells an egg replacement that may work instead of flax seed egg.
Hi Nora! I am excited to try out this delicious recipe for Christmas Day dinner along with your mashed potatoes recipe! I have a question though. Since I don’t have any of the beans you listed to use, is it okay to use pinto beans? Those are the only ones I have. Can I also just leave them out of the recipe, will that affect the recipe? What other simple substitutions are available? I am eager to really try out this recipe. Thank you for your time Nora!
Sure, you could use pinto beans or another bean. They will be noticeable but I think that would be good! You could just leave them out as well. I hope you love this recipe and the mashed potatoes. Thank you!
Hi Nora,
I’m making this for Christmas Day. If I’m making it ahead and want to freeze it should I just freeze the ‘meat’ or should I bake the whole thing, let it cool then freeze it complete?
Thank you,
Dawn
Some recipe mechanics of this were a little off, unless I missed something.
The amount of filling this makes is double what fits inside the 9×12” pastry, and more than 1” of space on all sides is needed to fold the dough around the Wellington – 2.5” on each side is closer to what is needed to fit around the filling and seal it.
Using the recommended dough size yields a pastry that will not serve 8 people. I would recommend making the same amount of filling but plan on making two smaller Wellingtons using 2 sheets of pastry.
I just pack it up nice and high in the middle, then wrap it up! It’s quite tall and I pack it tightly.
I was initially intimidated by this but it was really, really quick and easy to make. And it tasted absolutely amazing! Thank you!
You are welcome, Stephanie! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fabulous review and feedback!
This was awesome! I just did a trial run for Thanksgiving next week. Do you have any suggestions for the filling to be a bit firmer, maybe if I reduce the lentils?